Santa Maria Novella
The Church of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence was founded by the Dominican Friars and is one of the oldest, not to mention picturesque, churches in the city. The church we see today was built on the site where the church called Santa Maria delle Vigne once stood. Construction starter in 1278 according to a Gothic design by two friars; Sisto Fiorentino and Ristoro da Campi but they did not live to see the majority of it completed nearly one hundred years later in 1360.
The church was consecrated in 1420 but still much was to be done. The Italian architect Leone Battista Alberti continued work on the churches exterior trying to adhere to its original design, building around the Gothic structure instead of demolishing it using black and white marble in the façade.
The interior of Santa Maria del Fiore is illuminated with natural sunlight that reflect off of the colored arches and the high altar. Its vast size was considered in the plan with the aim of preaching to large congregations. A very unique play on optics was used in the illusion that when looking into the church from the main door, once visualizes a longer that real distance to the main altar due to the distance between the placement of the columns and arches.
The inside of the church holds a number of precious works of art to admire like the crucifix done by Giotto, a painting by Masaccio and other frescoes as well.

Fortezza da Basso
Modern day events and exhibitions held in the 16th century Fortezza da Basso in Florence, combines the beauty of Florentine history with modern day technology.
A splendid example of Renaissance architecture, the Fortezza da Basso was created by a design done by Antonio da Sangallo in 1534 by the wishes of Duke Alessandro of the Medici family as a fortress to protect themselves against the increasing threats of political upheavals that were common for the time. The fortress was constructed so and was never attacked therefore it has remained unaltered to this day.
In 1977, the Italian architect Pierluigi Spadilini designed a modern pavilion in order to host both national and international trade fair events for the city of Florence.
The three story pavilion is found directly in the antique center of the Fortress da Basso making it a genuinely unique setting.
Important events held yearly in the Fortezza da Basso include the clothing and fashion trade fairs of Pitti Immagine, the Florence Gift Mart, and various National congresses for medicine.

Piazza della Signoria
Piazza della Signoria in Florence, dating back to 1268, is a square full of history and beauty and cannot help but being visited by those who come to Florence, solely because of it's prime location not to mention the numerous monuments and statues that it holds.
One interesting historical event that took place in this piazza in 1497 is the "bonfire of the vanities" when Girolamo Savonarola, a Dominican friar and preacher, burned books, paintings, fine clothing and art, and many other objects of vanity, in the middle of the piazza in the name of Christianity.
Ironically, Savonarola was hung and burned in the exact same place one year later on false charges of heresy. The spot is marked in the piazza even today.
Monumental buildings that line the square are the dominating Palazzo Vecchio. This piece of Gothic architecture dates back to 1300 and was once the political nucleus of Florence and still today houses some government offices with a good part of it having become a museum for public visits.
In front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria, you can gaze and admire the statue of Hercules and Cacus by Bandinelli, the bronze equestrian statue of Cosimo I by Giambologna, the Fountain of Neptune by Bartolomeo Ammannati and an exquisite replica of the famous David by Michelangelo.
Also in the square find the Loggia della Signoria, the Uffizi Gallery, the Palace of the Tribunale, the Uguccioni Palace, and the Palace of Assicurazione Generale.